Movable Ferry Slab Transfer Cycle Time Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing systems for transferring continuously cast slabs from continuous casting cores to a production line suffer from long cycle times, inefficient use of production capacity, reduced storage space, and increased scale formation due to the swivel ferry mechanism, leading to reduced output and product quality.
Innovation Solution
A ferry with three berths, where the two outer berths are spaced at the same distance as the continuous casting cores and the third berth is between them, allowing for transverse movement by half the distance between the cores, enabling more efficient slab transfer and alignment with the production line.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a swivel ferry is used to transfer slabs from lateral continuous casting cores to the central production line, then the transfer function is achieved, but the cycle time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The ferry is made movable along the central continuous casting core instead of being fixed or requiring swiveling. This dynamic positioning allows the ferry to efficiently access both lateral cores and the production line without time-consuming directional changes, thereby reducing cycle time while maintaining transfer functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The ferry operates in an additional spatial dimension by moving along the central core rather than pivoting at a fixed point. This dimensional change eliminates the need for swiveling operations and enables more direct, efficient slab transfer paths between lateral cores and the production line
2Productivity
If a swivel ferry is used for slab transfer, then the transfer operation is performed, but the central continuous casting core length is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The ferry transitions from a fixed swivel mechanism to a movable system that travels along the central core. This dynamic arrangement maximizes the utilization of the central core length, allowing for longer core design without the space constraints imposed by a fixed swivel ferry location
3Productivity
If slabs are fed back through the swivel ferry mechanism, then transfer is achieved, but scale formation increases due to repeated direction reversals
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having slabs reverse direction multiple times through a swivel ferry, the system inverts the approach by using a movable ferry that maintains more consistent slab flow direction. The ferry moves to different positions along the central core rather than the slabs repeatedly changing direction, thereby reducing scale formation while maintaining production flow
Data Source
Figure 1~1h
Figure 2~2l
Figure 3~3j
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for transferring continuous casting slabs made of continuous casting strands disposed parallel at an equal distance from each other into an individual production line disposed on an imaginary extension of one of the continuous casting strands, wherein the cycle time during the transfer or forwarding of the slabs is to be reduced. This is achieved by a ferry, which can be incrementally transversely displaced between the ends of the continuous casting strands and the start of the production line and which has berth that are used for the substantially simultaneous receipt or delivery of the slabs.